Mechanism for vending cylindrical containers disposed in staggered stack arrangement



Aprll 18, 1961 c. w. HUNTER 2,980,288

MECHANISM FOR VENDING CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS DISPOSED IN STAGGERED STACK ARRANGEMENT Filed April 9, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet z F .7- Z6 2 INVENTOR.

Charley yardflanfer Apnl 18, 1961 c. w. HUNTER 2,980,288

MECHANISM FOR VENDING CYLINDRICAL CONTAINERS DISPOSED IN STAGGERED STACK ARRANGEMENT Filed April 9, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v v 'Illi IN V EN TOR.

United tates i NIECHANISM FOR VENDING CYLINDRICAL CON- TAINERS DISPOSED IN STAGGERED STACK ARRANGEIVIENT Filed Apr. 9, 1956, Ser. No. 576,912 1' Claim. c1. 221-67 This invention relates to improvements in automatic vending machines and particularly to those having the articles thereof arranged in stacks with the articles relatively staggered such as disclosed in United States Letters Patent Nos. 2,369,882, 2,585,011 and 2,585,012, the primary object being to improve upon the means for actuating the vending structure that normally engages the lowermost article of the stacks and holding the same against descent.

It is the most important object of the instant invention to utilize a crankshaft operable from a single prime mover in a manner to actuate the vending structures of a plurality of compartments simultaneously so as to vend the articles alternately or successively from the compartments during each energization of the prime mover.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide relatively offset eccentric discs rigid to a drive shaft and operably coupled with the vending structure through connecting rods for the afore-mentioned purposes.

A further object includes the manner of actuating a pair of swingable bails through the drive mechanisms above-mentioned so as to dispose one of the bails midway between the ends of its path of travel while the other bail is at either end of its path of travel in a position for vending an article.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevational view of a vending machine having improved mechanism for vending cylindrical containers disposed in staggered stack arrangement made pursuant to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the position of parts following the first cycle of operation;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 2 showing the disposition of parts following the next two cycles of operation;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary end elevational View;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on line V V of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken on line VI-VI of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of the automatic vending machine chosen for illustration there is provided a pair of sideby-side chambers 10 and 12 for supporting and guiding articles of merchandise 14 and 16 respectively, the articles 14 being arranged in a pair of staggered stacks 18 and 20 with the articles 14 relatively overlapped and with the articles 16 arranged in compartment 12 in a similar staggered relationship presenting a pair of stacks 22 and 24.

A pair of bails 26 and 28 for articles 14 and 16 respectively are each U-shaped as seen in Fig. 4, and pivotally mounted for swinging movement about parallel horizontal axes through the medium of suitable pivot means 30 and 32. 1

It is seen in each case that the bails 26 and 28 engage the lowermost article of the corresponding stacks 18-20 atent or 2224 as the case may be, thereby normally holding both stack against descent. In Fig. 1, for example, the bail 26 is swung to one end of its path of travel beneath the lowermost article 20 whereas the bail 28 is midway between the ends of its path of travel overlying the lowermost article 24.

The bails 26 and 28 are swung about their corresponding pivots 35 and 32 through the medium of a common prime mover 34 having a drive shaft 36. Through the medium of a key 38 a pair of relatively olfset eccentric discs'49 and 42 are afiixed to the shaft 36 for rotation therewith. Disc 40 is operably connected with one leg of the bail 26 through the medium of a connecting arm 44 and a similar but shorter arm 46 connects the disc 42 with one leg of the bail 28. Pivot means 48 and 5t? respectively join one end of the arms'44 and 46 respectively with corresponding bails 26 and 28. As best seen in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the arms 44 and 46 are provided with circular openings 52 and 54 respectively that surround corresponding discs 40 and 42.

The electrical circuit for'attaining automatic operation upon insertion of coins or other suitable mediums, is not illustrated but includes as a part thereof a switch 56 having a switch arm 58 that is successively engaged by the four corners of a polygonal plate 6%] that is likewise attached to the shaft 36 for rotation therewith through key 38.

In operation, during the first cycle of operation to cause rotation of shaft 36 ninety degrees, bails 26 and 28 are swung to the position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, thereby moving the bail'28 from beneath the lowermost article 16a of stack 24 to vend the latter.

During the second cycle of operation wherein shaft 36 rotates another ninety degrees clockwise, viewing Figs.

1-3, bail 26 moves to the lefthand end of its path of travel as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, to vend lowermost article 14a of stack 20.

The third ninety degree rotation of shaft 36 causes the bail 28 to move to the righthand end of its path of travel as shown by dash lines in Figs. 3, thereby causing the vending of article 16b of stack 22.

Finally, the shaft is rotated another ninety degrees to return the parts to the position shown in Fig. 1, thereby swinging the bail 26 to the righthand end of its path of travel and permitting article 14b of stack 18 to descend to a point of delivery to the customer. therefore, that during each complete rotation of shaft 36 four articles are vended, one from each of the stacks 18, 20, 22 and 24. Noteworthy also is that, byvirtue of the disposition of the eccentric discs 40 and 42 and the lengths of the-arms 44 and 46, one of the bails 26 or 28 is always centered vertically while the other bail is at one of the two ends of its path of travel.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

In a vending machine having a pair of upright. units each having supporting and guiding means for receiving two columns of articles in staggered relationship, a

, U-shaped bale member for each of said upright units and positions to alternately engage the columns therein and thus restrain both columns in each unit from moving downwardly; a single crankshaft rotatable about an axis horizontally spaced from and parallel with the axes of swinging movement of said bale members, the axis of rotation of said. crankshaft being disposed to=one side It is seen,

of the aires of both of said bale members, said shaft being provided with a bale of relatively offset, eccentric disks rigidly mounted thereon, the axes of eccentricity of said'disks being offset fromieach other by an angle of substantially, 90?, said disks being rotatablewith said shaft into four' successive particular positions of'rotation of said shaft and said disks displaced substantially 90 apart; and generally horizontally, elongated arms having rings mounted therein rotatably encirclingirespec- Ztive disks onsaid shaft connecting respective disks to corresponding bale members, said arms lying in vertical f planes disposed in horizontally spacedrreiationship, said arms reciprocating as said I disks' are'rotated' and pivotany coupled adjacent the opposite ends thereof to respective legs of the bale'membe'rs intermediate theends of said legs, one of said arms being of length positioning the legs of its corresponding balemember inavertical.

position and its bight below both of: said columns when said shaft is in thefirst of its said positions, its legs in a position inclined from vertical in one direction and its bight below one ofsaid columns of its stack but clearing the other of said columns for releasing an article therefrom when said shaft is in thesecond of its said positions, its legs in said vertical position and its bight below both of said columns when said shaft is in the third of its said positions, and'its legs in a position inclined from vertical in the opposite direction and its bight below the other of said columnsand clearing said one column when said shaft is in the fourth of its said positions, the other of said arms being of different length positioning the legs, of its corresponding bale member in a position inclined from vertical in one direction and its bight below one of said-columns of its stack but clearing the other of said columnsfor releasing an article therefrom when said" shaft is in the first of its said positions, in a vertical position and its bight below both of said columns when said shaft is in the secondof'its said positions, its legs in aposition inclined from vertical in the opposite direction and its bight b'elow'the other of saidcolumns and clearing said one column when said shaft is in the thirdof its saidpositions, and its legs in tions. 5 V g V V References Cited in" the file or this pat ent a V UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,167,752 Harcourt Jam 11, 1916' 2,103,367 Hoban Dec.28, 1937 2,197,634 Du Grenier Apr. 16, 1940 2,281,191 Eddy et a1 Apr; 28, 1942 2,369,882 Brock Feb. 20,1945 7 2,438,503 Holt Mar. 30, 1948 2,585,011 12, 1952 a vertical. position audits bight' parallel bothof said' columns when said; shaftis inthe-fourth of its, said posi- 

